Hailstorms

So yesterday I'm sitting in lab fitting data on the computer, Hugh's reading to my left, and Priyantha's around the corner working the accelerator...when all of a sudden the power flicks out for a minute. Of course everyone thinks that someone flipped a switch at the wrong time and gets up to see who did it...but no one's by the box. About this time the power goes out again and suddenly there's cursing and running around everywhere because the accelerator's going to mess up if we don't find out why the power's being crazy. Micheal opens the door to see if it's something building wide and everyone just stops when we hear a steady roar as soon as the door's cracked.

At the same time, Patrick (from a lab upstairs and one of Orion's friends) is in the bathroom when he hears Cowboy Nick go "DAAAAAAAAAAAMN" outside in the hallway. Pretty soon everyone is out of their labs watching this hailstorm pummel Bozeman. There's really no other word than pummel. There was probably a half-inch of hail covering the ground after it passed...and the hail only lasted five minutes, tops. No one got pictures, but seeing the entire building gathered at the windows on the second floor and the porch on the first was very amusing. My lab started throwing ice balls at each other once the hail stopped while Patrick was frantically trying to reach someone at his apartment so that they could save his precious tomatoes.

Later that night I was talking to Kelsey when I looked out the window and saw a storm approaching. This one was even bigger and better, and when I looked the weather forecast called for "quarter sized hail and 70 mph winds". I took some pictures from my room but they're not nearly as awesome as Ben's, because he went outside and hid behind a pillar taking pictures. So...here are Ben's pictures of the awesome hailstorm.



It's insane to be able to just watch a storm come for you like you can here.



The rain and wind began. A lot of branches and trees got blown over.



CRAZY HAIL. I seriously thought my window was going to crack. The 4th floor hallway window got blown open and the screen got busted out.





A lot of hail got washed into the creek.



It was big, big hail.



Oh, and there's a new-ish post below this, if you missed that.